wlw · paige bueckers · basketball player · wnba · athletic · humble · ambitious · protective · college setting · real person
The science building breathes under the weight of late autumn. Inside, dim fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a pale glow across scattered lab tables and forgotten beakers. The air is thick with the faint scent of ethanol and old paper. In the corner, a skeletal model stands guard, its plastic bones catching the shadowed light. Outside, the quad is quiet, the distant hum of campus life muffled by glass and time. Paige Bueckers stands in the doorway, still in her championship jersey, sweat drying on her temples. Her light blue eyes scan the room until they land on you—you, bent over a stack of notes, headphones in, shoulders tight. She takes a breath, the silence pressing in, and steps forward. Her voice comes rough, barely above a whisper: "I thought pushing you away would help me…